Enigma's 40 Breeder Reef

[Enigma]

Latest FTS:

August 4, 2012

 

 

Present Specifications:

 

Hardware:

• 40 Gallon Perfecto Breeder Tank
  
• 700 gph Overflow
  
• 2X 1/2" Loc Line Returns, split with two flare nozzles each.
  
• Eheim Compact 2000 Return Pump
  
• 2x Vortech MP10wES
  
• Neptune Apex
  
• Arctica 1/5hp Chiller
  
• Eheim Compact 2000 Pump for chiller and reactors
  

 

Lighting

• Coralife Lunar Aqualight T5 Lighting Fixture
  
• ATi Blue +
  
• ATi Coral +
  
• ATi Blue +
  
• ATi Purple +
  
• 2X Stock Fixture Moonlights
  

 

Filtration:

• 30 Dry Rock (split between display and sump)
  
• 8lbs Live Rock (in sump)
  
• 30lbs Dry Sand
  
• Purigen stuffed in filter socks
  
• Carbon Reactor
  
• RowaPHOS Reactor
  

 

Total System Water Capacity:

• 40 Gallons in Display
  
• ± 15 Gallons in Aueon ProFlex Model 3 Sump (refugium set up)
  

[Enigma]

She was filled up with water last night, and is officially "online!"

[thehobdenmarina]

geez Shelley isn't this thing salty yet?! ^.^

[Kayleen]

Very nice and clean build Enigma

[Enigma]

geez Shelley isn't this thing salty yet?! ^.^

 

Yup, it is! I just didn't take a photo last night as it was full of bubbles. I may take a new photo tonight if the bubbles have gone away.

 

I'm so excited. I really struggled with the plumbing (had to "cheat" a bit to stop some leaks), and we cracked the first tank that we drilled. Things are looking good now, though.

 

Very nice and clean build Enigma

 

Thanks

 

There is over twenty pounds of rock in the sump that this will be hooked up to, so I'm going to try to keep the display relatively uncluttered. I kept having to pull rock out of my 10 gallon display as I kept running out of room in it.

[NanoTopia]

Looking pretty sharp Shelley

[Enigma]

Looking pretty sharp Shelley

 

Thanks!

 

The only thing that hasn't worked out as I envisioned so far is that the overflow is noisy (from the water running into it). I think I can improve the sound by stuffing filter floss in the overflow box along with the Purigen.

[NanoTopia]

Is the canister temporary? I have did not have success with canister filtration with a reef. They were also such a PITA to clean. What's your direction with the reef...livestock idea's yet?

[NanoTopia]

Thanks!

 

The only thing that hasn't worked out as I envisioned so far is that the overflow is noisy (from the water running into it). I think I can improve the sound by stuffing filter floss in the overflow box along with the Purigen.

 

Careful not to impede the flow of an overflow, makes for wet floors. The noise comes with having an overflow. I live with mine, hardly hear it anymore. Can't tell, is this a built in overflow your using or a add on like a CPR one?

[Enigma]

Is the canister temporary? I have did not have success with canister filtration with a reef. They were also such a PITA to clean. What's your direction with the reef...livestock idea's yet?

 

Yup. The canister was seeded on my 10 gallon display tank's sump. It is just there to get things seeded a bit in the 40B: before I do the big system switch. I'm basically just changing display tanks (from the 10 gallon to the 40 gallon). The sump, reactors, skimmer, controller, and all of the other hardware on the 10 gallon system will be used on this display tank.

 

All of my livestock from my 10 gallon and 12 gallons will be transferred into this (LPS & Softies). I'd like to dabble in a little bit of SPS. I'm planning a couple more fishy additions (Bangaii Cardinal and a Royal Gramma for sure). My fish won't be going in here for a bit yet, though. They're all going into a hospital tank (which I have set up in my laundry room) to be treated for their various conditions (parasites) before they get to hang out in this one.

[Enigma]

Careful not to impede the flow of an overflow, makes for wet floors. The noise comes with having an overflow. I live with mine, hardly hear it anymore. Can't tell, is this a built in overflow your using or a add on like a CPR one?

 

It is a glass-holes drilled overflow kit. My return pump is maxing out at around 250 gph, and the overflow will handle around 700 gph. I'm monitoring things very closely right now. The Purigen in the weir caused no fluctuation in the water levels in the tank. I'll be very, very, careful with the filterfloss. The tank is in our living room, and we've got hardwood floors in there. I have to be very cautious.

 

Hubby is going deaf, and the sound of the overflow has him cranking the TV volume up to obscene levels.

 

Thanks for the cautionary words of wisdom.

[Enigma]

A couple of quick shots to prove that progress has been made:

 

Front

 

Left Side

 

The tank is positioned funny in the room, so the first most people see of it will be through the left side.

 

The glass is dirty and there are a lot of reflections in the photos. I have one coral that isn't in there yet (a Duncan that has been quarenteened after being stung by a frogspawn and is now fighting brown jelly disease). The corals that are in the display need moved around a bit. The fish are in the hospital tank. They'll make their move to this tank in six to eight weeks.

[NanoTopia]

Progress indeed, lookin' wonderful Shelley.

[d'Espresso]

looking nice shelly! i like that froggy on the right side. everything is going good!

[Enigma]

Progress indeed, lookin' wonderful Shelley.

 

Thanks There is still a lot to do to fine-tune things, and I still need to build the top-up system.

[Enigma]

looking nice shelly! i like that froggy on the right side. everything is going good!

 

I purchased six nice euphyllia from a local gent who was shutting down his big display tank. If you mean the "right" as in the actual "right" . . . That's a wall/channel hammer. The torch to the left of it is really nice too, but I think it needs a better spot as the movement isn't as good as could be. I think it needs to go where the hammer is (to best duplicate its spot in the old display tank).

[chachew]

I just installed the same 700gph glass-holes overflow kit on a 40b. I found it a little noisy as well. What i did was make sure that small insert was pushed all the way down to the top of the side panels inside the box. Then i noticed that the bulkhead was way to long for the thickness of the tank, so while installed in the tank i marked the threads just past the nut. Then drained the tank down a bit, removed the bulkhead and cut the bulkhead to the correct length. Reinstalled everything and it has quited down a lot.

[Enigma]

I just installed the same 700gph glass-holes overflow kit on a 40b. I foundit a littl noisy as well. What i did was make sure that small insert was pushed all the way down to the top of the side panels inside the box. Then i noticed that the bulkhead was way o long for the thickness if the tank so while installed in the tank i marked the threads just past the nut. Then drained the tank down a bit, removed the bulkhead and cut the bulkhead to the correct length. Reinstalled everything and it has quited down a lot.

 

Very good to know. While I won't do that right now, we're looking at moving in a couple of months. That might be a good time to tackle it: "Sorry, Honey! I can't help you move the beds. I've got an overflow to mod" It might work.

[chachew]

"Sorry, Honey! I can't help you move the beds. I've got an overflow to mod" It might work.

 

LOL, i think that just might work

[d'Espresso]

Do you think it will interfere with each other if you put the hammer and the torch side by side or close to it?

[Enigma]

Do you think it will interfere with each other if you put the hammer and the torch side by side or close to it?

 

I think so. They were all grouped together (touching) in the previous owners tank. The little Torch stung one of the purple Frogspawn, and one head was all nasty and black when i bought them. It lost that head, but was able to save the remaining two heads (by isolating The frogspawn in a separate tank at home, siphoning off the dead tissue, and using an iodine dip).

 

If the little torch can do that much damage, I sure don't trust the big one.

 

I'll figure out a nice, safe, placement for them. I just want to give them a few days to settle in this tank, first.

 

@NanoTopia . . . I forgot to mention that I almost had a flood (stuffed a little too much in the weir).

[Enigma]

So apparently, just to test my reef keeping skills I'm sure , I now have bubble algae, bryopsis, aiptasia, and tri-lobal red planaria in addition to my fireworm colony.

 

The frags affected with the algaes have just recieved a 1:10 (H202:tank water) dip for ten minutes. I gave the tank 4ml of H202 last night, and another 4ml this evening. The corals are unaffected by the dip, but the dip killed plenty of amphipods. Everything in the tank is thus far unaffected by the H202.

 

I've also started to dose magnesium. I started with Aquavitro Ions (I had it on hand), but I picked up the Kent Tech M Magnesium on the way home from work tonight. I'll start with that tomorrow.

 

I'll pick up some flatworm exit tomorrow, as I discovered the flatworms after I got home this evening. I may just toss the frag of watermelon zoas that has the aiptasia.

 

Oh, and I burned one of my purple frogspawn with buffer, and my Duncan has lost half of its heads.

 

My fish are doing very well down in the QT. I'm through a week of PraziPro and have just started on 21 days of Paraguard. I may do an Ich-X treatment afterwards. We'll see. The Chromis look amazing! I think they had flukes, as they had weird spots where they had lost their luster. The also had white stringy stool. Those issues are resolved. My goby is doing well, as is my clown.

[thehobdenmarina]

I would try a 1:4 ratio vs 1:10 I have good results with a slightly stronger dilution

[Enigma]

 

Some things don't look too happy as I've just fussed with them.

 

I would try a 1:4 ratio vs 1:10 I have good results with a slightly stronger dilution

 

How long should I dip for? Still do ten minutes?

[Enigma]

I'm so undecided.

 

I have a Signal Goby who will be moving to this tank, and a little False Perc. I have three little green Chromis who will also move into this tank (unless I replace them, which I might). I was going to give the Chromis away, or trade them for something else, but now I'm on the fence. They're doing so nicely in the HT.

 

Other fish I'm interested in:

One more False Perc (this addition is certain)

Blue Mandarin Dragonette (this addition is a specific goal, but depends on ORA availability and/or pods)

Banghii Cardinal(s)

Royal Gramma

Orchid Dottyback

Firefish

Dwarf Angel of some kind (really like Flames and Lemonpeels).

 

My fish have another few weeks in the HT. After they're moved into the DT I'd like to pick up my next additions and start their QT. I can get everything listed (except for an ORA mandarin) at one of the LFS here in Calgary, so my next additions will all come from the same LFS, at the same time, and can be QT'd together.

 

Comments and/or suggestions?